Knife Mounted on BCD

[doctormike]

I find that things that are designed to do more than one thing often don't do a great job at either.

The Fog cutter is certainly a clever design, I had one for a while. But it's nowhere near the cutting tool that EMT shears are. Playing around with both of them, there was no question which one I would want to use in an underwater emergency, especially with heavy gloves on.

The hinge makes it less of a sturdy knife if you really need to pry something, and the knife makes it less of a cutter when you use it as a scissors. Just compare the direction of force on the blades to that with EMT shears. Plus, if that blade inner blade gets dull it's going to be hard to sharpen. You can sharpen EMT shears for a few bucks - you throw them away and get another pair when you need it.

There's a reason why you don't see a lot of these carried by divers on northeast wrecks where you are likely to encounter entanglement hazards.

 

[CT-Rich]

I have a cheap knife that I have mounted to the weight pocket strap on my Scubapro night-hawk. I like a cheap blade better than more elaborate and expensive knives because a small BCD knife is the most likely to be dropped. I don't like the idea of something expensive that I might be tempted to chase after when it is ill advised. I have found more BCD knives than any other piece of gear and I have lost one or two myself.

 

[thatdiver]

Looks like i started a lot of off topic talks on knife etc!

I am happy with a small knife and a trilobite - the knife is a back up should anything ever go wrong but its always the trilobite i go for - fishing lines etc - never needed a knife.. but when it comes to been underwater there is no harm in having it there..

when it comes to knife placement or cutters or what ever you want to take with you i feel the same rule applies .. its best to have it even if you do want to wear it james bond style or what ever because at the end of the day we all carry what ever item we choose for safety not for show... and come on is it not cool enough having all the gear on anyway .. going over the top with a massive knife is not going to give you any more credit than been a divers does anyway haha!!

 

[Nemrod]

There are usually two grommets installed on buoyancy compensators that were designed for a universal fit knife. Then two screws or clips go through the buoyancy compensator grommets and into the sheath to secure it.

I prefer my knife on my left side waist strap. I have always carried it there. Never carried one on my leg but a few times, do not care for that. I have also carried a knife on my weight belt but eventually thought better of that as well.

N

 

[ssidiv3r]

+1 for shears for already mentioned benefits. I started off carrying a UK Blue Tang knife on my right leg but switched when I got my dry suit. The shears I have are a pair of Zeagle's that came with a nice pouch with a belt loop; I have it mounted on the center of my waistband so it can be reached with either hand. I plan on getting a Benchmade 5 hook cutter as backup and a Tekna XTRA Edge ( Tekna XTRA Edge - Black [Knife-Tekna-Edge-Black] - $16.99 : Tech Diving Limited, The Leading Source for Diving Equipment ) to mount on the goodman handle when I get a new can light, simply so I have more cutting options even though the shears are my go-to choice.

 

[SoCalRich]

NOTE: I mounted a small knife on my inflator hose, with zip ties. Worked great until I discovered that over time the zip ties had worn thru the hose. A simple thing that might get missed during an annual inspection.
It could have been a serious event on a rig dive with no bottom. Check ALL your gear.

 

[maniago]

+1 on shears, but forget any fancy titanium BS shears. Waste of money. I buy the $3 EMT shears off Amazon and they work killer - because that's what they're supposed to do. Rust? Nope. Rinse and dry your stuff and its no issue. I bought 5 pair for the price of those titanium ones and I'm still on my first pair after a year and half - I also carry a knife (for knife fights) and a trilobite (for trilobite fights), so if I drop one I still have the others. But the shears are a must IMHO (best solution for trimming lionfish in the water - or on land, if youre so inclined).

 

[diver 85]

small(?3 inch blade) in a holster carried in your BC pocket.....

 

[fnfalman]

Folding knife and trauma shears on the waist belt of the BC.